Magnetic gasket



1966 A. J. KOCH ETAL 3,264,048

MAGNETIC GASKET Filed March 23, 1964 i 1'6 1g J5 10 United States Patent3,264,048 MAGNETIC GASKET Alan J. Koch and Marion J. Weis, Evansville,Ind, as-

signors to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar.23, 1964, Ser. No. 353,759 6 Claims. (Cl. 312-296) This inventionrelates to a cabinet having a frame memher and a door in combinationwith closure means such as a gasket for providing a relatively tightseal between the door and the frame member.

The invention here is particularly applicable to refrigerators andfreezers having a refrigerated interior and a door for providing accessto this interior. In such structures it is necessary to provide arelatively tight seal between the door and the frame of the cabinet inorder to maintain the refrigerated conditions within the cabinet. Theinvention here is applicable to other cabinet structures wherever arelatively tight seal is desired.

One of the features of this invention is to provide an improved cabinetcomprising a frame member having an access opening, a door normallyclosed across this opening, means for providing a seal of the closeddoor to the frame member including a flange member extending from anedge portion of the closed door toward an edge portion of a cabinetmember, a second flange member extending from the cabinet member edgeportion toward the first flange member and cooperating magnetic means onthe first and second flange members for holding the flange members inengagement with each other and spanning the space between the edgeportions when the door is closed, at least one of these flange membersbeing distortable to accommodate itself to intimate contact of thecooperating magnetic means.

A more specific feature of the invention is to provide an improvedcabinet comprising a frame member having an access opening, a pair ofdoors normally closed against the frame member to extend substantiallyacross the opening, a gasket on each door adapted to engage the cabinetwhen the door is closed, cooperating flange members integral with eachgasket along the adjacent edges of the closed doors and magnetic means,specifically flexible magnetic means, on each flange member cooperatingto hold the flange members in engagement with each other to span thespace between the edge portions when the doors are closed so that theusual beam extending across the opening at the adjacent edges of thedoor to provide a surface against which the doors seal is eliminated.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description of one embodiment thereof as shown in theaccompanying drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a cabinet, specifically afreezer adapted to be suspended from a wall, having double doors one ofwhich is closed and the other of which is open.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the cabinet of FIGURE 1 with bothdoors closed.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion of FIGURE 2in order to illustrate certain parts of the structure in greater detail.

In the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings the cabinetincludes a frame member 11 with an access opening 12. The access openingextends across the entire front of the cabinet and is not provided withany central beam which would normally be located at or adjacent thecenter 13 of the cabinet.

The cabinet is provided with two cooperating doors 14 and 15 eachmounted on hinges 16 in the usual manner and provided with the customarydoor opening and "ice closing handles 17. As shown in FIGURE 1 one door14 is in closed position against the frame member 11 while the otherdoor 15 is in fully open position. In FIGURES 2 and 3 both doors areclosed.

In order to seal the doors against the frame member 11 there is provideda gasket 18 on door 14 and a gasket 19 on door 15. When the doors areclosed, as shown in FIGURE 2, the gaskets bear against the front surfaceof the frame member 11.

The gasket 19 is provided with a first flange member 20 extending.toward the adjacent edge portion 21 of the door 14. The gasket 18 isprovided with a second flange member 22 extending toward the adjacentedge portion 23 of the opposite door 15.

Although the illustrated embodiment employs the pair of doors 14 and 15,it is obvious that only a single door could be used, if desired, such asthe door 15 with the opposite door 14 being replaced by a fixed sidewall. In any event, either of the doors 14 or 15 can be considered acabinet member which may be movable or fixed while the other door can beopened to provide access to the cabinet interior.

The edge portions 21 and 23 of the two doors are spaced from each otherand the flange members 20 and 22 extend across this space to completethe closing of the interior of the cabinet fro-m the outside air. Inorder to seal these flange members 20 and 22 together, they are providedwith cooperating magnetic means 24 and 25 that are attracted to and heldagainst each other when the doors are closed, as shown most clearly indetailed FIGURE 3. In the illustrated embodiment the flange members 20and 22 are flexible so as to accommodate themselves to intimate contactof the magnetic means 24 and 25.

As can be seen, the flanges 20 and 22 are integral with their respectivegaskets 19 and 18. Each gasket is also provided with a relatively stiffauxiliary flange member 26 and 27 adjacent to the respective flangemembers 20 and 22 and located inwardly thereof with respect to thecabinet 10. The inner edges of these auxiliary members 26 and 27 arespaced from each other and between these edges are located the magneticmeans 24 and 25. These auxiliary members provide a closure inwardly ofthe flexible flanges 20 and 22 to prevent outside air flowing into thecabinet, and vice versa, around the tops and bottoms of flanges 20 and22.

In the illustrated embodiment each gasket 18 and 19 is also a magneticgasket having extensible and retractable accordion sides 28 and 29 withthe strip magnets carried in the sealing portions 30 and 31 of thegaskets and the adjacent portions of the cabinet openating as armatures.Magnetic gaskets of this type are described in detail in Bower et al.Patent No. 2,958,912, assigned to the same assignee as the presentapplication. The magnetic means of these gaskets as well as the magneticmeans 24 and 25 are in the form of extended and flexible magnetic stripsof the type described in Baermann Patent 2,959,832. The magnetic strips24 and 25 extend the full length of the flange members 20 and 22 andsubstantially completely across the access opening 12.

With the structure of this invention the central beam usually providedacross an access opening such as the opening 12 is eliminated. Thismeans that when the doors 14 and 15 are fully open the entire opening 12is accessible. Because of the flexibility of the gasket flange members20 and 22 and the flexibility of the magnetic strips 24 and 25 a verytight seal is provided across the space between the doors 14 and 15. Asis explained in the above Bower et al. patent, the magnetic strips 24and 25 provide a very secure seal as these flexible strips areself-adjusting and make intimate contact along and across their entirecontacting surfaces. Because the magletic attraction between the strips24 and 25 is very ;mall per inch, this secure seal does not hinderopening )f either or both doors. Thus, in one embodiment the nagneticattraction of all magnetic strips is about 0.15 sound per inch through agap of 0.015 inch.

Having described our invention as related to the em- )odiment shown inthe accompanying drawings, it is our ntention that the invention be notlimited by any of the ietails of description, unless otherwisespecified, but 'ather be construed broadly within its spirit and scopeis set out in the accompanying claims. The embodiment )f the inventionin which an exclusive property or privlege is claimed is defined asfollows:

1. A cabinet, comprising: a frame member having an 1CC6SS opening; adoor normally closed against said frame member across said opening; acabinet member having 1n edge portion spaced from an edge portion ofsaid :losed door; a first thin flange member extending from iaid closeddoor edge portion toward said cabinet mem- )81' edge portion; a secondthin flange member extending 'rom said cabinet member edge portiontoward said first lange member, said flange members having adjacent:dges when said door is closed; and cooperating magnetic neans on saidfirst and second flange members edges for lolding said flange members insealed relationship spaniing said space between said edge portions whenthe door s closed, at least one of said flange members being disortableto accommodate itself to intimate contact of said :ooperating magneticmeans.

2. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein both said flange nembers are flexiblestrips.

3. A cabinet comprising: a frame member having an \ccess opening; 'adoor normally closed against said frame member across said opening; acabinet member having L11 edge portion spaced from an edge portion ofsaid :losed door; a gasket member on said door adapted to :ngage saidcabinet when the door is closed; a first thin lange member integral withsaid gasket member extendng toward said cabinet member edge portion whenthe loor is closed; a second thin flange member extending rom saidcabinet member edge portion toward said first lange member, said flangemembers having adjacent edges vhen said door is closed; and cooperatingmagnetic means in said first and second flange members edges for holdingaid flange members in sealed relationship spanning said pace betweensaid edge portions when the door is closed, Lt least one of said flangemembers being distortable to tccommodate itself to intimate contact ofsaid cooper- .ting magnetic means.

4. A cabinet comprising: a frame member having an vccess opening; a pairof doors normally closed against said frame member across said opening,said doors having edge portions spaced from each other when the doorsare closed; a flange member at each said door edge portion with theflange members having edges adjacent each other when the doors areclosed; and cooperating magnetic means on said edges of said flangemembers for holding said flange members in sealed relationship spanningsaid space between the edge portions when the doors are closed, at leastone of said flange members being distortable to accommodate itself tointimate contact of said cooperating magnetic means.

5. A cabinet comprising: a frame member having an access opening; a pairof doors normally closed against said frame member across said opening,said doors having edge portions spaced from each other when the doorsare closed; a gasket on each door adapted to engage said cabinet whenthe door is closed; a flange member integral with each gasket with theflange members having edges adjacent each other when the doors areclosed; and cooperating magnetic means on said edges of said flangemembers for holding said flange members in sealed relationship spanningsaid space between the edge portions when the doors are closed, at leastone of said flange members being distortable to accommodate itself tointimate contact of said cooperating magnetic means.

6. A cabinet comprising: a frame member having an access opening; a pairof doors normally closed against said frame member across said opening,said doors having edge portions spaced from each other when the doorsare closed; a gasket on each door adapted to engage said cabinet whenthe door is closed; a flexible flange member integral with each gasketwith the flange members having edges adjacent each other when the doorsare closed; cooperating flexible magnetic means on said edges of saidflange members for holding said flange members in sealed relationshipspanning said space between the edge portions when the doors are closed;and relatively stiff auxiliary flange members integral with said gasketspositioned adjacent said flexible flange members and having spaced edgesbetween which are positioned said magnetic means when said doors areclosed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,004,309 10/1961Korodi 2069 3,077,644 2/1963 Kesling 20-69 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, PrimaryExaminer. CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner.

F. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner.

1. A CABINET, COMPRISING: A FRAME MEMBER HAVING AN ACCESS OPENING; ADOOR NORMALLY CLOSED AGAINST SAID FRAME MEMBER ACROSS SAID OPENING; ACABINET MEMBER HAVING AN EDGE PORTION SPACED FROM AN EDGEE PORTION OFSAID CLOSED DOOR; A FIRST THIN FLANGE MEMBER EXTENDING FROM SAID CLOSEDDOOR EDGE PORTION TOWARD SAID CABINET MEMBER EDGE PORTION; A SECOND THINFLANGE MEMBER EXTENDING FROM SAID CABINET MEMBER EDGE PORTION TOWARDSAID FIRST FLANGE MEMBER, SAID FLANGE MEMBERS HAVING ADJACENT EDGES WHENSAID DOOR IS CLOSED; AND COOPERATING MAGNETIC MEANS ON SAID FIRST ANDSECOND FLANGE MEMBERS EDGES FOR HOLDING SAID FLANGE MEMBERS IN SEALEDRELATIONSHIP SPANNING SAID SPACE BETWEEN SAID EDGE PORTIONS WHEN THEDOOR IS CLOSED, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FLANGE MEMBERS BEING DISTORTABLE TOACCOMMODATE ITSELF TO INTIMATE CONTACT OF SAID COOPERATING MAGNETICMEANS.